Heritage Lottery Fund grant secures The Green’s regeneration
23/05/08
A new project to regenerate the historic heart of Aberdeen has secured £1.4million of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The money, combined with another £1.4million contributed by Aberdeen City Council (£525,000), Historic Scotland (£350,000), and Scottish Enterprise (£525,000), will fund The Green Townscape Heritage Initiative, which aims to deliver a co-ordinated approach to the regeneration of this area with public and private sector partnerships.
The initiative is a grant-giving programme which helps to fund the repair and restoration of buildings of architectural merit, enhancement works, and community activities, with the aim of improving the quality of life for those who live in, work in, or visit the area.
The initiative will enable The Green to play a key role in the development of city centre redevelopment and provide the important first impression of the City and Aberdeenshire to visitors arriving by bus, rail, or sea. The revitalised Green will have an important role in linking Union Street with the bus and railway stations and the new commercial developments taking place south of the city centre.
There is obvious potential for the development of a distinct City neighbourhood in The Green, characterised by cafes, restaurants, specialist shops, galleries and a revitalised Tivoli Theatre.
Paul Pillath, Aberdeen City Council’s Team Leader, Conservation, said: “The whole Conservation section was working towards the detailed Lottery Heritage Fund submission for about six months. It was a mammoth amount of work, in which we were assisted by officers from other services of the Council and by Douglas Campbell, Project Officer of the Aberdeen City Heritage Trust, who made the initial approaches about a scheme in 2006.
“It is fantastic that we have managed to secure this funding. The successful completion of the project mow requires partnership working with the owners of the buildings and businesses to encourage them to take up the grant assistance on offer."
He added: “Most of the money is going into the historic buildings and into repairing or renewing the granite streetscape. This will help in bringing new life into the area. This could really raise its profile and bring The Green back to its rightful place at the very heart of the city centre.”
The following six buildings have been identified as priority projects for The Green Townscape Heritage Initiative and could all be eligible for grant assistance:
- The Palace Theatre, Bridge Place
- Victoria buildings, Bridge Street
- The Tivoli Theatre, Guild Street - for external work only
- The former Grampian Hotel Annexe building, Carmelite Lane
- 82-84 Shiprow
- 76-78 Shiprow
The list is not exhaustive and funding would also be available for the repair and restoration of other buildings in the Townscape Heritage Initiative area.
The project team will be working closely with the owners of the buildings to support applications for grant funding for the scheme.
A programme of street work is also to be undertaken to enhance the streetscape , including the restoration and repair of the granite sett surfaces during the conservation-led regeneration scheme.
Councillor Andrew May said: “We are trying to encourage the development of The Green and I would be keen to see anything and everything done to encourage people to use the area and to make it more attractive. It would be great to see The Green brought back to its former glory.
“I’m really sympathetic to the whole idea of regenerating The Green , especially because of what’s happening at Union Square. Once that’s established there’s going to be far more folk using that route to go to and from the city centre to Union Square.“
Councillor John Stewart said: "I welcome the Lottery Heritage Fund's backing for this fantastic venture, which will create a strong opportunity to secure investment in key buildings in the area, as well as provide support for homeowners and businesses to improve their properties.
"This will be further enhanced by the streetscape improvements to the area, which are being funded by the City Council, which are vital to securing linkages between Union Street and the new Guild Street development."
It is hoped that the Townscape Heritage Initiative, which will last for three to five years, will completely regenerate the area by both restoring the historic fabric of The Green and attracting new uses appropriate for a 21st century city.
The Green Townscape Heritage Initiative will cover the area between Union Street and Guild Street, from Shiprow to Bridge Street, including the Adelphi, the Green, and Market Street.
For further information on The Green Townscape Heritage Initiative contact the THI Project Team on 01224 522275, or email Pl@aberdeencity.gov.uk or visit www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/greenthi
The Green Townscape Heritage Initiative will cover the area between Union Street and Guild Street, from Shiprow to Bridge Street, including the Adelphi, the Green, and Market Street.
For further information on The Green Townscape Heritage Initiative contact the THI Project Team on 01224 522275, or email Pl@aberdeencity.gov.uk or visit www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/greenthi
If you have any queries regarding this, or any other news story, please contact Aberdeen City Council on: 01224 522000.
